Musser Looks Ahead to Nationals with Focus and Determination

By Laura Finley, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff WriterUNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Sharaya Musser hopes the third
time is the charm. After competing at nationals as an individual for each of
the past two seasons, the junior gymnast heads to Duluth, Ga., to compete this
weekend in the NCAA National Championships for a third time in her career.

After qualifying for the championships during regional
finals with a score of 39.450, Musser looks to continue finding success on the
big stage.

"Being at nationals two times already as an individual, I will definitely know
how to prepare myself and what to expect," said Musser. "Going into practice
with that mentality is nice. But because I don't have a team there it's a lot
different. I have a different mindset competing individually."

During the regular season, Musser performed exceptionally,
winning 10 of the 12 all-around titles and being recognized as the 2012 Big Ten
Gymnast of the Year. To say she will not be a threat would be a mistake. Musser
has a strong focus in the gym every day and she is determined now more than
ever, to place within the top three in Georgia.

"As a freshman I was just going with it," said Musser. "I
didn't know what to expect. I think the difference between then and now is the
confidence that I have in myself and really believing that I can accomplish the
goal that I have set. This year, my goal is to make it in the top three in all-around
and just to enjoy it."

Musser is already off to a good start, as she will be
rotating with the No. 1 team in the country, the Florida Gators. Although her
own team will not be there cheering her on, Musser and head coach Jeff Thompson
are confident in the support she will receive from the Florida gymnasts.

"We feel like she has a great draw," said Coach Thompson.
"She's with the number one team in the nation. The caliber of gymnastics that
she'll follow is as good as or better than what she does. The fact that she's
following a really good team means that if they have a really good day and she
has an excellent day, then the chances are better for her making the finals on
certain events."

Competing in four events, Musser has plenty to work for. It
is the vault, however, that she and Coach Thompson are practicing with most.
With an average score of 9.887 during the season, vault has been Musser's best
and most consistent event. And it is vault that is one of Florida's best events
as well.

With this in mind, the game plan going into nationals is
simple: practice the little details. Musser and Coach Thompson have the process
figured out, learning from past mistakes and conferring with one another on
strategy.

"Last year we tried to add some difficulty, but it backfired
a little bit," said Coach Thompson. "Although she was able to hit them 9 out of
10 times in the gym, under the pressure of competition the national
championship stage probably wasn't the best time to try that. Knowing that, the
only thing we're working to do is work on vault. She's an outstanding vaulter
and there's a good chance she'll qualify for vault event titles."

Musser will begin her rotation at nationals this Friday
starting at vault and ending with the floor event. If she places in the top
four in any of the events, she will then go on to compete Sunday in the
individual-event competition.

Coach Thompson is confident Penn State will be well
represented. Working with Musser over the past two years, he knows she has all
of the attributes necessary to succeed in the sport.

"The thing that sets her apart from other gymnasts is that
I've never seen her have a bad day," said Coach Thompson. "Even when she's
struggling in the gym, she still finds a way to laugh about it or to find the silver
lining. We expect her to do extremely well."